epiphyte
noun
a plant that grows above the ground, supported nonparasitically by another plant or object, and deriving its nutrients and water from rain, the air, dust, etc.; air plant; aerophyte.
epiphytic
-
a word derived from
epiphyte.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He recommends using a potting mix labeled for Phalaenopsis orchids, which are also epiphytic.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 22, 2023
Owing to their epiphytic nature, most bromeliads don’t need soil so much as a solid footing — something to grab onto, the way they would a tree in the forest canopy.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 22, 2023
Wood sorrel, dog violet and celandine were already in flower beneath the twisted branches of mature oak and birch, thickly draped in mosses, ferns and epiphytic plants.
From New York Times ● Jun. 27, 2023
In some habitats, the roots of certain plants may be modified to form aerial roots or epiphytic roots.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
"Those are epiphytic orchids—air-plants, you know: they require no earth for their roots: they live on the air."
From Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. 26, October, 1880 by Various
